Vietnam signs legal deal with Singapore

HA NOI - Viet Nam is willing to cooperate with Singapore in extradition, judicial assistance, and training of law enforcement officers amidst an increasingly complicated situation in the region.

President Truong Tan Sang made the statement while receiving Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs Teo Chee Hean in Ha Noi yestersday, who is visiting Viet Nam to sign a cooperation agreement on transnational crime prevention and investigation.

Highly valuing the Singaporean Ministry of Home Affairs' support, the President suggested the ministry continue deepening relations between the two countries and sectors.

In the future, both sides should continue promoting the implementation of commitments in their cooperation documents and proposal studies on cooperation contents, Sang said, before adding that Viet Nam was pleased at the results of the socio-economic and political-security cooperation between the two countries.

Sang also said he highly valued Singapore's role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its consistent stance on issues of common concern.

Teo Chee Hean affirmed that the two countries' traditional ties and the recent signing of cooperation agreements between the two security sectors had contributed to strengthening and tightening ties between Singapore and Viet Nam, and agreed that the two countries needed to maintain activities to enhance their strategic partnership.

He affirmed ASEAN's importance for both countries, saying that while facing a rapidly changing world, an ASEAN of solidarity and unity with a consensus of each member country would make the community in Southeast Asia strong.

The Singaporean leader said his country would commit to making unceasing contributions toward building diplomatic ties with Viet Nam.

Earlier in the day, Teo Chee Hean and the Minister of Public Security Sen-Lieut. Gen. Tran Dai Quang also held talks.

Quang said he hoped Hean's visit would open a new stage of development in relations and cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs through the signing of an extension for the cooperation agreement on transnational crime prevention and investigation.

The Singaporean leader said he wished the two ministries would continue their successful efforts in the fight against crime.